Route between Touvre and Charente

Park in the car park at Gond-Pontouvre Town Hall.

(S/E) Pass under the arch to the left of the town hall to reach Foulpougne Island and cross it. At the end of the footbridge, follow the pavement to the left.

(1) Take the footbridges on the left. Continue along the path, passing the skate park.

(2) Pass under the railway tunnel on the left. Continue along Rue Jean Moulin, then take Rue du Souvenir on the left. At the end, turn right onto Rue du Petit Vouillac.

(3) At the crossroads, cross Route de Vars and continue straight ahead on Rue des Bourguets until you reach the Charente. Continue straight ahead on a beautiful shaded path.
At the wash house, take the small fisherman's path that runs alongside the river and come out at the foot of the RD 747 bridge.

(4) Cross Route de Saint-Yrieix via the pedestrian crossing and follow the Flow Vélo cycle path, which crosses the river and descends to the right towards the Coulée Verte. Follow the direction of the lake to the left.

(5) After passing under the RN10, take the footbridge on the right that crosses over the river. Pass under the RN10 again and follow the Route de Vars to the left via the protected path. As you pass, you will see the dyke and the old Chalonne lock.
See the wash house on the left before climbing up to the village via Rue Honoré de Balzac. Turn right onto Place Buffon, and at the end, follow Rue La Fontaine to the left. Turn right onto Rue Racine.

(6) Just after the tunnel, follow the path on the left that leads to the Fontaine de Pisse-Menu.
Climb the adjacent slope and continue straight ahead parallel to the railway line until you reach Route de Puyrenaud, which you follow to the right. Pass in front of the houses and continue along the path.

(7) At the intersection, go down to the right to enjoy the view. At the intersection, follow the road to the right, then immediately leave it to go under the RN10 on the left. Turn right behind it, follow it for a short distance before going uphill. Go down towards Le Treuil, with a view of Angoulême.

(8) At the intersection, ignore the streets on the left and then on the right, continue along Rue de la Croix Rompue and then Boulevard du Grand Plantier. After the bend, take the road and then the path on the left.

(9) At the end of Rue des Plantiers, go to the crossroads with Route des Fours à Chaux. Cross at the pedestrian crossing to reach the small parallel street Rue des Fontenelles. At the beginning of this street, you will see the old lime kilns that gave the street its name.

(10) At the roundabout, follow Route de Paris to the right, admiring the dyke and the mill on the Touvre from the bridge. The origin of Pontouvre is simply a contraction of Ponts de la Touvre.
Turn right onto Rue Pasteur to see the restored wash house on Place de l'Indépendance.

(11) Walk down Rue des Anglades to the river. Follow the Touvre, but be careful here as there may be some wet patches. Walk up Rue des Granges to the right. Join Rue Pasteur and pass under the Foulpougne railway bridge again.
Take the footbridge leading to the island and head to the town hall car park (S/E).

Please note: In winter and early spring, much of the route is very muddy, even flooded and impassable.
Contact: Pays d'Angoulême Tourist Office: +33 (0)5 45 95 16 84

(5) Swimming at the lake, the dyke and the old Chalonne lock.
(6) Pisse-Menu fountain.
(7) Panorama of Angoulême.
(10) The dyke and mill on the Touvre.
(11) Fishing route along the Touvre.